For those unaware, there are 5 classes of climbing and boulder difficulty.
Class 1 - Walking an established flat, easy trail.
Class 2 - Hiking a steep incline, scrambling, maybe using your hands.
Class 3 - Climbing a steep hillside, moderate exposure, a rope may be carried but not used, and hands are used in climbing. A short fall could be possible.
Class 4 - It is steeper yet, exposed and most people use a rope due to the potential of long falls
Class 5 - Climbing is technical and belayed roping with protection is required. It is not for a novice. Any fall from a Class 5 could be fatal.
Most of the PCT is a graded hiking trail. It’s graded for pack animal with the maximal grade being around 14%.
However, in the Sierras, the switchbacks up to the mountain passes can be snow covered, causing us to find alternative routes up the mountain side.
On Mather pass, (see photo of diagonal line in the snowy switch backs), the snow seemed too soft for good traction. We therefore scrambled from switch to switch, passing into class 2 and in one occasion class 3! This was a new experience with a pack! Thankfully we did not experience any falls as we scrambled up the scree to the 12,093’ pass!
We also went up and over Pinchot (12,090’), and Bishop Pass (11,972’). We took a polar plunge into some alpine lakes including Marjorie Lake and the enchanting Rae Lakes.
As aforementioned, we are taking 5 days off trail to visit family in Yosemite National Park, then back to trail to continue our hike through the Sierra Mountains!
